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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsGamesBeat’s 2015 retrospective named 20 memorable games from 2005, spanning console, handheld and PC releases. It is a staff-curated look at games the contributors found important—not a ranked list or an objective verdict on the year’s best releases.
What GamesBeat’s retrospective set out to capture
Published July 28, 2015 and updated June 18, 2025, GamesBeat’s feature frames 2005 around the Xbox 360’s debut, Sony’s entry into handheld gaming with PSP, and renewed controversy over the “Hot Coffee” leak in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Its editors argue that games themselves reveal how the industry and its design ideas have changed. The piece calls its selections “20 important games” in the introduction and uses “memorable” in the title.
The feature is a collection of individual contributors’ impressions, not a scored or ordered ranking. Its separate “BONUS ROUND” includes 50 Cent: Bulletproof; that entry is not one of the 20, and the page’s platform information for it is inconsistent.
The 20 games, by original platform
Here are the selections and the design, play or personal experience GamesBeat highlights. The platform labels below reflect the systems named in the retrospective, not a complete list of every platform on which each game may have appeared.
#1 Best Overall
GameCube
- Resident Evil 4 — GamesBeat credits Shinji Mikami’s pacing, set pieces and close over-the-shoulder camera with making the game influential.
- Killer7 — The entry describes an on-rails shooter-adventure with a noir conspiracy story, unusual controls and multiple personalities. The discussion also notes its PlayStation 2 release.
Nintendo DS
- Nintendogs — The retrospective points to voice commands using the microphone, the dual screen and wireless interaction. It reports “almost $24 million in sales” for Nintendogs and its offspring, but identifies no underlying source or measurement; that figure is GamesBeat’s report, not independently verified sales data.
- Advance Wars: Dual Strike — Its campaign, many commanding officers, bonus modes, map editor and online play stood out to the contributor, alongside balance issues among officers.
- Trauma Center: Under the Knife — The surgical-simulation premise turns the DS stylus into a set of medical instruments, with the player trying to save patients.
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — The writer highlights the writing, characters and localization, which made point-and-click adventure play feel fresh to them.
- Mario Kart DS — The entry praises the tracks, handling and online play, and calls out “snaking”: repeated power slides used to build turbo boosts.
Xbox
- Psychonauts — Its psychic summer-camp premise, comedy, writing and imaginative levels made an impression; the contributor singles out the Meat Circus platforming section as a low point.
- Jade Empire — GamesBeat emphasizes its Imperial China and wuxia setting, martial-arts combat, and character development through Mind, Body and Spirit.
- Star Wars: Republic Commando — A first-person squad shooter puts the player in command of clone troopers with different roles, shifting attention away from Jedi characters.
PlayStation 2
- God of War — The contributor’s response centers on the original Kratos characterization and personal nostalgia for playing the game.
- Dragon Quest VIII — The retrospective notes the series’ move to 3D, its cel-shaded look and memorable characters, as well as the US series’ shift from the “Dragon Warrior” name.
- Guitar Hero — The entry highlights its five-button pattern system, feedback on performance and licensed-song set list.
- Devil May Cry 3 — GamesBeat points to its high difficulty and a combo system that allows weapons to be switched mid-combo.
- Lego Star Wars — Puzzles and comedic cutscenes pleased the contributor, who also regarded the game’s short length as part of its favorable value judgment.
- Shadow of the Colossus — The defining memory is the sense of scale, especially climbing a flying, serpent-like colossus.
PC
- Battlefield 2 — Squad and rank structures let a commander issue orders through squad leaders, helping coordinate large multiplayer teams.
- Call of Duty 2 — Its tightly executed campaign and timing alongside the Xbox 360 launch mattered to the writer, who does not claim it invented scripted first-person shooters.
- Guild Wars — The retrospective stresses that the game had no recurring subscription beyond its purchase price, its emphasis on team PvP, and the option to make a max-level PvP character.
- Civilization IV — The entry describes it as a return to form for the series and praises its modifiability, 4X play and theme “Baba Yetu.” GamesBeat says the theme became the first video game tune to receive a Grammy nomination and win when rereleased on Christopher Tin’s album; that is the retrospective’s claim.
Design ideas that connect the selections
The variety is part of what makes the list a useful snapshot. Rather than point to one shared genre or formula, GamesBeat’s contributors recall specific mechanics and experiences:
- New ways to control or coordinate: Battlefield 2’s command structure organized large teams, while Guitar Hero’s five-button interface made performance feedback central. Trauma Center made the DS stylus part of its surgical fiction.
- Scale and spectacle: Shadow of the Colossus made climbing a giant creature its central experience; Resident Evil 4’s camera and set-piece pacing shaped how its contributor remembered its action.
- Distinctive worlds and voices: Psychonauts’ psychic camp, Jade Empire’s wuxia setting and Killer7’s noir conspiracy offered sharply different tones and settings.
- Systems that invited mastery: Devil May Cry 3’s weapon-switching combos, Mario Kart DS’s snaking and Battlefield 2’s squad play gave players systems to learn beyond simply completing a campaign.
Finding an original copy today
The retrospective’s platform labels are useful when searching for physical copies, but a title alone is not enough to identify the right listing. Check the specific system, region, edition and condition, and confirm that the listing matches the game you want. An original-platform entry does not establish present-day stock, price or compatibility with modern hardware.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The Ultimate 80's Retro Gaming Collection: Essential Guide to Gaming's Greatest Decade
- ABIS BOOK
- Sona Books
Rank #2
- The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox
- No Starch Press
- ABIS BOOK
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